Worth It
by Lethal-Pepper
Summary: Just a bunch of one/two-shots of the characters that are in Portal 2. Ranges from either being fluffy or extremely heart-wrenching sad. Really, whatever pops into my head and what requests I get. (Mostly Chelley) (Rated T because I am paranoid)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Second Chances

**Disclaimer:** The characters that make up the Portal universe do not belong to me. I do not own them; although, most of the time, I wish I did. Instead, they belong to their respected owners.

I just have one thing to say, and then I will let you go! I do have some ideas of my own but I will take requests. It can be a whole summary or just a word, whatever. Also, these stories may or may not have a two-shot. I will tell you in the beginning of every new chapter. So, don't worry!

This one-shot is just a warm-up for me and to see if you guys like where I'm heading with these.

**Prompt:** Starting Over  
**Summary:** She had given him a second chance even though he did not deserve it. Why?  
**Warning:** Contains Chelley, if you squint

* * *

To be honest, he did not deserve this; any of this. He kept telling himself that, everyday. That he should have been in line for something far, far worse; something so terrible that some of his thoughts would seem almost merciful. Even his banishment should have been longer. After all, he had tried to kill her and that annoying AI on several occasions. Wheatley sighed, he truly did deserve worse.

So, why was she not succumbing him to that? For lack of a better word; torture? Why did that mute woman offer him smiles and hugs, a place to live with a roof over his head? Why not leave him out to rust, or hand him off to GLaDOS? Something as simple as that.

And, one day, barely containing a frustrated yell, the talkative sphere decided to ask.

His split optic rolled up to look at his companion's tan face. She had just returned from her morning job at the coffee shop that was a block or two away, and he could tell - it had been hard. "How was your day, luv'?" He started.

Chell casually shrugged her shoulders, before plopping down on the dark-colored sofa next to him. Even though the time that she spent with that wise, older woman was plentiful - and were showing positive results - she still preferred hand signals. _'Sign language.'_ Wheatley reminded himself. But when she made no shift to elaborate, another sigh was heard.

"Oh, well, that's good then." Inwardly, he kicked himself; why was he being so awkward? "A-Anyways, I've been thinking, y'know, like always, since there isn't much to do here but look out the window, or watch the telly. And since you're gone for a while, being by myself, I had a lot of time to think about this." He paused, looking everywhere but at her. "You remember what happened back-back _there_, don't you?"

Chell nodded, and shifted so that instead of watching the television, her attention was focused solely on him. "Yes,"

"O-Of course you do. Silly question to ask you, really. I-I mean, who would-" Wheatley sputtered, only to stop for a second when she had tapped the top of his hull. "Right, right. Sorry. Today, I-I've decided that I wanted to ask you something. And, I've thought long and hard about this, s-so may I?"

Her eyebrows furrowing together in an obvious sign of confusion, Chell motioned for the robot to continue. "O-Of course,"

Wheatley relaxed; her eagerness to listen to what he had to say seeming to pluck an invisible weight from his chest - if he even had one. With a shaky intake of breath - regardless if the action was prerecorded - Wheatley forced the question out; "Why didn't you leave me behind?" At her lingering façade of confusion, he continued. "What-What I mean is, when you found me, you could have left me there; to rust. You didn't have to take me back home with you, y'know. To be honest, you could have even taken me back to _Her_. O-Of course, I'm glad, completely and totally content, that you didn't. Don't get me wrong, luv'. B-But," he admitted, "weren't you angry with me?"

"Yes," Chell answered. "I-I was, for l-long time."

Immediately, the robot's expression fell. So, he _was_ right. "An' you probably still hate me, too." He mumbled.

Chell giggled softly and moved to pick him up from his spot on the couch, holding him close. And the soft, hand-knit blankets - which she had done herself - fell to the carpeted floor; lying unforgotten. To say that he was surprised would have been a small understatement. His upper handlebar twitched, one part of it rising higher than the other half. His blue optic rolled upwards, wanting to stay locked on her grey-blue eyes."Why are you so happy, mate? Aren't you supposed to be bloody livid, still? I-I mean, I sure would be, if I were in your shoes - is that what your people say? I tried to bloody _kill you_, not only one, but-but many times! W-Why-"

She shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips. "I w-was mad. Not anymore." Chell slowly said, trying her best to say each word as clearly as possible. It was a slow process - but she had improved. "Wheatley, y-you made a mistake. It's okay."

"But I should have known better!" Wheatley scolded, his small spherical body starting to shake due to the long, pent-up anger and hate towards himself that had formed over his short exile in space. "_I_ was the one being bossy and-and monstrous, _not _you! To be honest, really, I deserve to be back at the Laboratories instead of this lovely place. Mate, you should have just left me there." His tone dropped rapidly, along with his handlebars, and he looked below at the floor with an even sadder expression. "I don't deserve this second chance."

Once again, Chell could feel her heart shatter. She frowned at him - there was no reason to be so hard on himself, like this. Sure, Wheatley had tried to murder her on multiple occasions - basically betrayed her. As well as forced her to solve test after test after, sometimes just for his own pleasure or humor. On the other hand, though, that was never actually, truly _him._ He had been corrupted by _Her_ body, forced into insanity that had nothing within its sight but testing. So, in a way, it was _Her_ fault that those things had occurred. _Not his._

That was why Chell was giving the smaller AI a second chance - although among other reasons. He had apologized time after time to her. And what had happened was in the past. Although she would never forget, she would forgive him; and move on.

However, all she did was simply snuggle him closer - if that was even possible. Her eyes slid close in content as the soft whirring of his inner motors reached her ears; the loud noise that was the television remaining unheard of. Though he refrained from looking directly at her, it was becoming even harder as the seconds passed. His curiosity was spiking; wondering what she was going to say next. He was -

"Yes you do."

-taken aback. "W-What?" Had he heard that correctly?

Chell was now looking down at him, having straightened her posture. "I said, y-yes, y-you do." The former test subject repeated, and sent him a warm smile. "E-Everyone makes mistakes."

"Okay, I guess that's true." The robot slowly nodded. "But you still haven't really answered my first question. Or maybe you did already. You could have left me there, but you didn't. Why? You didn't have to bring me to your home, luv'."

Chell nodded in return. "Y-You're right, I didn't have to." She softly agreed. "But I _wanted_ to."

"Oh, well, that's great then, yeah? Pretty wonderful, if you ask me." Wheatley hummed, his inner circuits nearly buzzing with joy themselves.

After a moment of silence, his optic shot open and he suddenly shattered the comfortable moment. "I-I just want to say thanks, luv', y'know, for bloody well everything. Not leaving me behind in that wide field of wheat. Very positive that I would have gone bloody mad, if I'd stayed there." He mumbled the last part more to himself than to her. "And for not handing me off to _Her_ -"

"You're welcome," Chell cut him off.

Now that he had spoken his mind and the questions had their answers, Wheatley was becoming engrossed with the cartoon. Except, as he listened to the soft giggles of his partner when a brown mouse had knocked a tall, grey cat upside the head, his mind wavered for a moment. Inwardly, he quickly vowed to himself that, no matter what, he would do everything in his power - albeit limited - to make her happy. He would never hurt Chell again, _ever._

"The bloody hell was _that?_" Wheatley yelped, with his single optic widening at the split second of abuse that the small mouse had inflicted on the cat. And with a hammer! "If there something wrong with that mouse? Mad, he is! Thinking that he can take out a cat, something _way_ bigger than he is, with just a wee hammer!" What was with this cartoon any-

However long it took, the polished sphere decided, he would prove that it was not a mistake that she had forgiven him and not a waste of her time. He would show how sorry for what he did and how grateful that he was of her kind ways; for giving him a chance to start anew. That it was worth it.

And maybe, just maybe, Wheatley would forgive himself too.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! I'm back! It's nice to see you all again! I want to apologize, very much so, for the long wait. I just..guess I lost track of time, plus something pretty problematic has occurred with my family; so, that's taken up a load of space. Stuff like that. :\ But, what I **can** assure you of is that the next chapter won't take as long to upload (hopefully). No worry there!**

**Also, I would like to thank everyone who has read my other story - 'A Thousand Years'; that means a lot to me, as well as the reviews. You all know that I simply adore it when I see those numbers go up. It shows me that I'm dong something right..somehow. (:**

**I hope that you liked it! Maybe enough to review, perhaps? That, too, would make me really happy. I'm not going to stress it too much, now. See that small button down there? Right **there**? Yes! Please - click that. Of course, if you want to. Still, let me know what you think.**

**Until next time, ¡Adiós!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - You're Okay Part 1

**Disclaimer:** The characters that make up the Portal universe do not belong to me. I do not own them; although, most of the time, I wish I did. Instead, they belong to their respected owners.

**Prompt:** Your character wakes up in the hospital. How? Why?  
**Summary:** She'd been warned not to get too covered in the Repulsion gel, because of its extreme disliking of the human skeleton. Too bad she didn't listen.  
**Warning:** A bit of Chelley here and there later on.

This chapter takes place many months after Wheatley returns to Earth - read 'A Thousand Years'. Unlike last time, though, this won't be just a one-shot. It's going to be a two-shot! Probably! If I don't listen to anyone, then it will be! But, for now, I hope that you enjoy and I'll see you at the end!

Happy reading, friends!

* * *

The loud, high-pitched _beep_ of the heart monitor was not the reason behind her awakening, nor was it the silent _drip_ of the IV that sat suspended to the right of her bed. The dead silence of her room did its job greatly intensifying the machines' sounds; but none of those things caused her eyes to slowly peel themselves open.

It was the pain. And that was all that she _could _feel. The agony as she tried to flex her stiff muscles from her lying position underneath bleach-white sheets. When she moved her foot, she could not believe how fast the pain raced from the tips of her toes to the split-ends in her dark hair. For a moment, the pain became too much and the sudden wave of exhaustion was more than welcomed by her sore limbs; but her mind refused, like it always did. And when the rest of her body screamed out questions about why, her brain could only form one in response.

_Where am I?_ That was plenty enough for her body to cooperate - at least, for now.

When her eyes opened, nearly all that she saw was white and it was downright blinding. Snapping both her eyes closed, Chell took the process of moving slower. Giving her grey-blue eyes time to adjust at their own pace, not hers; so, the next time that her eyes opened, everything was not so blurry anymore. She could see.

However, that did not mean that Chell liked what she saw.

Her grey-blue eyes widened to the size of small saucers once her vision completely cleared. And what she saw was the ceiling, in all its blinding white glory. Regardless if the lights in the rectangle-shaped room was dimmed. Her eyes darted around the room, looking at the panels that made up the floor, the walls, the ceiling; that made up _everything._

Chell could not help but come to the immediate conclusion that she had, somehow, ended up back _there._ The white panels, and they were all _surrounding_ her. The heavy silence of the small, single-bedded hospital room did not help her rapidly dwindling sanity much, either. It only made the probability of the situation become greater.

As she tried to push herself up into a sitting position, she did not even realize that she had rested in a bed. All the piece of furniture was, was a large block of _white._ The repetitive waves of discomfort as they racked every inch of her petite body was ignored, but not without a sliver of confusion - why was the adrenal vapor not working?

Abruptly, a faint whisper of noise drifted to fill her ears, and it caused Chell to freeze. Had one of the robots found her, already? She had _just_ woken up not even-

-and then the door was thrust open, slamming against the smooth walls.

A nurse rushed in, her features twisted in a look of worry. "I'm here! I'm here!" Trying her best to stay calm, the nurse hurried over to the right side of the hospital bed. Almost immediately, the heart monitor's high-pitched beeping intensified; performing at a speed that even surprised the nurse. The bright green line peeked even higher, as if _it_ wanted to break free. Her eyes widened; "O-Oh no, that's not good."

But Chell ignored what the older woman was saying - regardless if it was to her own self or to her, Chell. The only thing that she was focusing one was her attempts to escape; which, to be honest, were _not_ going so well. She grunted, struggling under the surprisingly heavy weight of the female nurse.

"Honey, y-you need to-to calm down!" The nurse exclaimed, unfortunately sounding not so calm. "This isn't good for your condition!" Trying to avoid being accidentally smacked by her patient, the nurse fumbled with a medicine-filled needle after connecting it to a separate IV drip. She gripped the needle in one hand - making sure that her thumb was pressed on the top, so the painkiller would be immediately transferred, and facing away from her own body - and Chell's left arm in the other.

"Come _on_," the nurse growled, quickly losing the fight to keep the former test subject still. "You need to keep still!" Upon seeing the frightful look in the female's twin, grey-blue eyes, her own gaze softened. "Sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help!"

Although, it did not work; Chell remained ever fighting.

The nurse frowned and placed the needle back on the nearby tray. "I didn't want to do this but," she trailed off, whilst pressing a small, red-colored square on the side of the hospital bed. And not a minute later, a second nurse ran into the room through the opened door. Recognizing the redheaded assistant, the darker-haired nurse let out a sigh of relief. "Great! Janette, you're here! H-Help me hold her down."

Nodding in a silent response, the second nurse, who was named Janette, maneuvered herself over to the other side of the room; quickly grabbing hold of Chell's other arm. Though, seeing as she was, also, flailing her legs, Janette decided to lean heavily on her lower abdomen. Her sky-blue eyes fell on the other nurse, who had grabbed the needle for a second time. "Hurry up, Mel! I can't hold her like this for long."

Straightening out Chell's wrist, the first nurse, Mel, first, shot her an apologetic look. "This might pinch a little," seeing as this only added fuel to the fire, Mel quickly added, "b-but this will take the pain away. Promise!" And with that, she thrust the needle down; quickly inserting it in the junction of her arm. Quickly, she pressed her thumb down and the medicine flowed from the needle into the vein in her elbow; being held in place by a piece of tape that was dyed an off-white.

"There," Mel sighed, the grip that she had on Chell's wrist loosening ever slightly. "She should be good now,"

Once seeing the thin needle pierce her dramatically paled skin, Chell grew panicked. Her eyes were as wide as could be and her heart beat wildly within her chest, its erratic pounding threatening to shatter her rib cage. What had they injected her with? Her mouth opened and she took a breath to speak, "Wha-" Only to fade out as a soft croak. Her throat burned painfully, but quickly lessened to a dull throb.

As did every other part of her; it was all just a soft ache.

Something smoothed out her hair, and brushed back what few bangs that had stuck to her forehead due to a thin line of sweat. Her chest rose shakily as her breathing pattern changed, becoming more even. As well as her heart beat, it no longer flared alarmingly, to which the tall machine signaled. What was happening to her?

Her eyes promptly fell closed, the bright white color of the ceiling panels being whisked away by an inky, yet comforting, black. Chell frowned, as well; why was she so tired? And then her mind reeled - she had to get out! To her sudden fear, it was becoming increasingly hard to keep her eye lids from falling. Her flailing limbs progressively slowed, to the point where she was only jerking a second or two at a time.

She swallowed; she could not fall asleep now! She had to get out of here! She had to run away to-to-

Where did she have to go?

Chell looked up, a voice reaching her ears; "It's okay. You're safe now." Dark colored eyes - maybe brown? She could not tell - met her own much lighter-colored ones. The woman - at least, she assumed it was. Was it Mel, or that other one, Janette, maybe? - offered her a calm smile.

"I'll be here when you wake up."

She shook her head in disagreement. No, she had to go. But where? Where was she supposed to go? Her head swam, the thoughts finally swimming away - to her great relief, and Chell finally closed her eyes. The inky-black immediately offering her comfort against the loud noise of the hospital's machines and the blinding brightness of the room.

And Chell inwardly smiled. She would wake up again, and when she did, _then_ she would figure out where she was supposed to go. For now, she would rest.

The voice was nothing but a light breeze on a warm, sunny day, now. And just like anyone would towards the wind, Chell paid it near-to-no-mind.

"You're okay."

Although, a small part of Chell just did not want to believe them.

* * *

**A/N: SoOoOo what'd you think? Good, yeah? Or..maybe not?**

**I'm sorry for the **incredibly** late update of this story! But before you throw anything at me, let me explain! I was staying in New Jersey with my grandmother for a little while, and when I came back the other day, I went to visit a college over in Virginia Beach. So, long story short - I've been a little busy. Sorry!**

**Also, I would like to thank every single person who either reviewed, added this story to their favorites, or chose to follow. Or, possibly, did all three! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it - except, maybe, say A LOT! Thanks a whole bunch! :D**

**EDIT: Hey - don't worry, I just fixed a few sentences and added a little thing at the end. No big changes.**

**So, until next time,**

**¡Adiós!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - You're Okay Part 2

**Disclaimer:** The characters that make up the Portal universe do not belong to me. I do not own them; although, most of the time, I wish I did. Instead, they belong to their respected owners.

**Prompt:** Your character wakes up in the hospital. Why? How?  
**Summary:** Despite the frightening amount of poison that was in her system, the doctors said that she would be okay. But she did not believe them.  
**Warning:** A bit of Chelley here and there later on.

As promised, here is the next, but also, sadly, the last, part of this two-shot! Albeit it's a few (a lot) days late. Sorry.  
While I can, I also want to apologize for the many change in Point Of Views. It's going to happen a few times.

Just so there won't be any confusion, the first section of this chapter (until the next line) will be taking place the day that Chell went into the hospital - which is one week before the events of Chapter 2. After that, it will be a day or two after she wakes up. Hope that makes sense. I'm sorry if it doesn't. /:

Other than that, there's not much else that I want to say. So, I hope that you enjoy the next installment and, like always; I'll see you at the end!

Happy reading, friends!

* * *

**Wheatley Point Of View - Third Person**

**One Week Earlier**

She was late.

He sent another glance at the front door, although, this time, the light of his optic dimmed ever slightly. His gaze fell, and to express how badly he was starting to feel even more, the top optic shutter fell; drooping along with his handlebars.

The talkative core looked up at the clock that hung on the wall. The red second-hand jerked from number to number, the soft tick bouncing off the walls in the now-silent room - the television having been long-since turned off. It was 9:30 in the evening.

Wait. Now, it was 9:31. Chell was _over_ a half-hour late.

Wheatley let out sigh. Had she forgotten what they were going to be doing tonight.. on purpose? Almost immediately, the small sphere shook his head - that is, if he had one. Metaphorically speaking. But you get the point. He should not think like that! There was no way that Chell would do that to him! She had promised!

But still.. she was late.

He shot another glance at the clock - yep. Her work shift had ended just about an hour ago; she should have been here by now! The bus ride was only thirty-minutes long, if she decided to take it. If not, than the walk to the small apartment complex would only take about five-minutes longer. So, what was taking her so long?

Wheatley turned the old television back on. As he switched from channel to channel, he could not help but bend his upper handlebar down; mimicking an angry expression. "Who's going watch the Tom and Jerry marathon with me, now?" He pouted. "It starts in a few-"  
Suddenly, the door was thrust open; which, in turn, caused it to slam rather loudly against the wall.

"Blimey-!" The personality core jumped, nearly falling off of the cushion that he was nicely perched on. His optic narrowed, but, upon remembering who he was waiting for, his mood enlightened. His once-happy expression returned. Chell was home! "Finally mate, you came-!"

However, the person that had rushed into the apartment was not Chell. It was her closest friend, Meagan.

"Oh," Wheatley deflated upon seeing someone other than Chell. But he still greeted Meagan with a wave of his handle. "'Ello, Megan."

Normally, a playful comment would have slipped past her lips, but, this time was different. There was a more, desperate matter at hand than trying to cheer up the usually grinning sphere. So, stumbling over a stray pile of books and mumbling a few, chosen words, the pale brunette picked up Wheatley in one swift motion. Before exiting the apartment, however, Megan made sure to grab a blanket. Tying it into a makeshift sling, she gently placed Wheatley inside; and once making sure that he was secure, they left.

Shifting around in the makeshift sling, Wheatley glanced up at the familiar female. "Uh, excuse me? Megan, i-is there something wrong?" He asked, his shrunken optic quickly scanning the objects that they were running past. "Is there a sale at one of those e-electronic stores or something?" His voice was a bit shaky as the carrier bounced against her hip, due to dodging what few people who were out at this time of night.

Megan only shook her head in disagreement. "I wish," she then replied, digging around in the ever-so-deep-pockets of her work uniform for any spare change. With a soft "aha!" she stepped on to a bus, dropped the correct amount of money into the box, and took a seat. "That would be nice."

Wheatley blinked. "What're we doing on a bus, mate?" He asked, slightly confused. "The store's not that faraway, y'know. Just around the corner. Not that far, in my opinion. But I'm not a human and, as you can see, have no legs. So, I don't really know if that's far. But anyways," he looked up at Megan from his spot in her lap, eye shutters sliding together to further expression his confusion. "Where are we going? Chell is going to be home any minute, now; I can feel it. So why aren't we-"

A soft sigh drifted over her pale lips. "Wheatley, Chell isn't coming home." She admitted, "she's in the hospital."

* * *

When he had first arrived at the hospital, Wheatley had gotten only a few, if not only one, wary glances. He knew that he was sentient, after all, how many robots have the ability to act like them? To act so human?

Not many, that was for sure. And it was confirmed when the people started to whisper to one another, their eyes never leaving him.

And it had only gotten worse when he was finally able to see Chell. Instead, this time, the looks turned angrier. As if he had done something wrong.

Shaking his head - metaphorically speaking, instead it was more of his entire optic-piece - Wheatley came to a decision; he was going to ignore the looks, the whispers, all of it. Right now, his main focus was Chell. He was going to help her in we recovery, what little he could.

Wheatley would not betray her this time. He would stay with Chell until the very end, until she was okay again.

* * *

**Chell Point Of View - Third Person**

**Two Weeks Later**

Chell grits her teeth as a fresh wave of pain washes over her muscular body, forcing the screams that wanted to escape back down. Instead, her hands both become tight fists and at the same time, her toes curl. Unfortunately she has to sit neck-deep in the large bathtubs, that is, if she wanted the treatment to actually work.

And as she glared straight ahead, Chell decided that it would be better if the pain was not included.

Something seemed to tug at the back of her mind at the same time that a fresh bout of agony washed over her, starting at the tips of her toes and ending at her head. And then a small voice told her, It was all worth it.

Chell nodded her head, glad, for once, that the nurse had quickly run out to get her a new gown. She agreed with the voice, it was all going to be worth it.

Because it was all for him, for Wheatley.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later and the nurse had helped her into a wheelchair, no longer needing the extra help from one of the other on-sight employees since Chell could walk on her own. She looked down at her pale legs, or at least, better than before.

Having been watching closely, the nurse, Mel, leaned forward and offered her a soft smile. "Hey, you're making a speedy recovery, far quicker than anyone would've guessed. And," her voice dropped an octave as the neared a desk. Her chocolate-brown eyes dance with playfulness. "If you want, I can try to sneak some of that ice cream that you like. Chocolate?"

Chell smirked along with the nurse, her grey-blue eyes rolling up to meet Mel's darker ones. She nodded courtly, not wanting the other doctors and nurses to take notice.

Mel stood straighter, the smile now stretching from ear to ear. "Good," she closed the door behind them and then rolled the chair over towards the bed, only to feel a hand softly touch hers. She hummed. "What is it?"

Chell pointed to the bathroom, shaking her finger quickly. Her bladder suddenly felt full, too much so for her own comfort.

Mel's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! You need to use the bathroom." Making note on her unspoken urgency, she quickly turned the wheelchair around and dashed the short distance that it was to the small, and yet somehow spacious, bathroom.

Helping Chell out of the low chair, she asked, "would you like some help while you're in there? Just in case," Mel trailed off.

Chell shook her head, only for the action to be transferred into a soft squeak of surprise as her feet suddenly slid out from under her. Luckily, Mel was waiting in the still-open door, close enough to save her patient from having a date with the tile floor.

A chuckle escaped her throat, and she sent Chell a look, one eyebrow raised in question. "Are you sure?" Her response consisted of a nod, as well as a raspberry, to which Mel returned. "But if you do need anything, just press the button on the wall. Or shout for me, okay?"

"Okay," Chell whispered softly, at the excited expression that was flashed her way by the talkative nurse. Her own eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "What?"

Mel clapped her hands. "You talked!" She cheered, "even though it was only one word, still! You spoke!"

Rolling her eyes, Chell closed the bathroom door. The nurses and doctors kept reminding her that it was better to leave the door open whenever she had to use the restroom, merely for safety reasons. Just in case something were to happen to her - like if she fell and she bumped or cut any part of her body. And as she looked around at what littered the bathroom, she scoffed. If anything, she would get only a stubbed toe. A major part of her was glad that Mel let her have privacy for most things, unlike everyone else. Even if it was for her own safety.

The loud, and rather obnoxious, sound of the toilet being flushed echoed throughout the small, white-tiled room only moments later. Chell shuffled over to the sink, her hands tightly gripping the polished, silver railing that ran along the wall, a small part of her fearing that she would actually fall. With hands that shook slightly, she moved the handle up and to the right, wanting, above all else, cold water. After washing her hands thoroughly and making sure that there was no more soap, she cupped them together; letting the water spill in, instead of simply flowing over them.

Deciding that there was enough water, Chell lifted her hands and splashed the water on her face. The cold water hit her cheeks and instantly woke her up, causing her eyes to widen a fraction. Repeating the action only a few more times, her wet hands fumbled to turn off the faucet, and then she moved over to the pile of light-brown paper towels that sat, neatly folded in the corner of the large sink. And just before she tossed them in the nearby trashcan, she stopped.

A soft sigh drifted over her lips upon gazing at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes slowly crawled upwards from her pale-colored arms, to her gown-covered shoulders, to her neck, and, lastly, her face. Her gaze fell in embarrassment, she was being seen in public looking like this? There were dark bags under her eyes, making her grey-blue eyes stand out even more in contrast. The bags under her eyes reminded her of the time when her cheeks used to be just as hollowed out; but now, neither were so bad. During the past two weeks at the hospital, her appearance had gained for the better. All she looked now was tired, as if she had not slept a wink in days, and her slightly messy hair proved this theory well.

The disapproving frown remained on her face. 'I still look pathetic.' She told her herself, criticizing her body, inwardly, of course, on how slow that her recovery was going. The comment was something that GLaDOS would have agreed on, for sure; and she allowed herself to laugh.

Until there was a knock on the door. "Chell? Are you alright in there?" Asked Mel, although her voice was greatly muffled by the un-painted door, the worry was clearly heard. "Can I come in?" She was growing worried. Chell had not spoken a word since entering the much smaller room, and Mel was starting to second guess her decision on allowing Chell more privacy than was required.

Chell swallowed, pushing the quickly rising insults, that were surely to be about her appearance, back down. "Sure." And she moved to the right a little bit, not wanting to get hit by the door as it was being hesitantly pushed open.

Mel left the door open, letting it slowly swing out until it bumped inaudibly against the buffer that was bolted on the wall. And she moved to stand next to the tired-looking Chell, the both of them looking at each other through the mirror. She offered her another smile, knowing, to what she hoped, what was wrong. "You know," she started, grabbing one of Chell's hands gently. "You look much better today."

One of her eyebrows raised in doubt. "Really?" Chell asked, her voice still a little hoarse, despite having had a drink of water on the way back to the room.

Mel nodded in confirmation before speaking again, "definitely." She chirped. "And let's be honest, ou looked way worse a week ago. Right?" The smile that Mel harbored on her face only grew when Chell shook her head in agreement, letting loose a giggle or two. At least she was getting somewhere. "You look a whole lot better now, trust me. If anything, you just look tired; maybe a little exhausted - as if you came home from a long day at work. That's it."

"Don't w-we all?" Chell joked, this time around, electing a soft laugh from the nurse.

"That's for sure." Mel laughed. In a split second, her expression, then, changed - as if someone had simply flicked a light switch. "I'm being serious, though, Chell. You don't look that bad, at all."

Chell brushed a few stray bangs behind her ear, and her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink; not used to being addressed with too many compliments. "T-Thank y-you." She whispered, and squeezed her hand.

Mel returned the silent gesture, "you're welcome." Carefully, she, then, helped guide Chell over to the awaiting hospital bed. "Now!" She chirped, sparing a quick glance at the clock that hung on the wall on the other side of the room. Her smile widened. "Would you look at the time! Your friends will be here soon!"

Chell returned the joyful grin, her eyes occasionally landing on the still-closed door that led to the rest of the hospital.

* * *

It had been only a handful of minutes later, not too long, when there was a knock on the door, which was quickly followed by an all-too-familiar accented voice; "Can we come in, luv'?"

Knowing that shouting would be a strain on her voice, Mel decided to respond, "yes!"

The door swung open was they were given the 'all-clear' and in walked a familiar sight, to which Chell smiled widely at. Except, this time, it was not the ever-so-chatty Megan, it was the old woman that lived in one of the apartments that was one or two down from her own, Mrs. Macintosh. And, as her eyes drifted down, towards the makeshift sling, Chell's smile grew - for a third time in that same evening.

"Wheatley," she called, her fingers itching to hold the small, metal ball close to her. But she could wait.

Know how close they were - regardless if one of the two were made out of nothing but metal - Mrs. Macintosh walked over to the other side of the hospital bed, and gently scooped Wheatley out of the makeshift sling. She sent Chell a warm smile. "Hello, dear."

Said one looked up from the personality core for a moment and turned her gaze towards the kind woman. "Hi-" only for her sentence to be cut short as a coughing fit racked her body.

Having been through this same ordeal before, but not with any less urgency and concern, Mel quickly poured a cup of water into a plastic cup; making sure to hold it up to Chell's lips so she could drink. Ignoring the looks that were being directed her way, Mel asked, "do you want some more water?"

Chell shook her head 'no' in response, and pulled the frightened sphere closer to her. Noticing the scared look that he was giving her, she gently pay the top of his hull in reassurance.

"W-What was that?" The core asked, altering his one-eye gaze between the nurse and Chell. "Are you alright?"

Chell nodded, "I'm okay."

Calming down, Wheatley asked once more, "are you _sure_, luv'?" And when he noticed that the happy façade decided to stay, his own mood brightened. His bright blue optic became enlarged, no longer a dot the size of a pinprick, and the lower optic shutter rose up to express how delighted he was. "Great! Oh, and guess what we brought you, luv'!" He chirped, giving her a moment to guess. "Go on! Guess!"

Playing along, Chell brought a hand to her chin in thought. "I don't know," she finally said, giving up. "What?"

Turning his cheerful gaze towards Mrs. Macintosh that stood near the end of her bed, he gestured with his upper handlebar. "C'mon, Miss! Let's show her now!" Wheatley said excitedly, barely able to keep still in his spot on Chell's lap. "Okay. Okay. So, that Megan lady that always comes over to visit, remember her? Of course, why wouldn't you? Anyways, she took me to the store the other day a-and look! Look at what I picked out!" His eye flickered to the small bouquet of flowers that was now resting in her hands.

The stuttering core looked off to the side, partly because of the soft giggles that could be heard coming from the nurse, Mel. "W-Well, she helped, with the paying and taking me out to the store, all that stuff. 'Cause, y'know, I'm a core. I have no legs, can't walk. But-But still!" He gained a smug look, almost as his 'speech' came to an end. "_I_ was the one who picked those lovely flowers out. Got you some vi-violets, tulips, and some daisies in there." He paused one last time, looking her in the eyes. "Do you like it? B-Because if not, then I can bring them back-"

Chell laughed, as well, and silenced the blubbering core with a soft pat on the side. "I love them." She announced, inhaling at the fresh scent of the assorted flowers. "They're v-very pretty. Thank you, Wheatley."

Having noticed long before that the two former beings of Aperture Science were going to be in their own world for a while, Mrs. Macintosh turned to face the nurse, who was busy changing the IV drips that hung quietly at the head of the hospital bed. Setting the picnic basket on the nearest chair, which happened to be in the far corner, she carefully pulled out one large container. It was dyed a deep, rich red with the company's logo printed smack in the middle, as well as on the lid. And, keeping it closed was a white and red ribbon that was tied in a neat bow.

Taking out a small, plastic bowl, she turned to the nurse with a polite smile. "Dear, would you like to join us for lunch?"

Mel blinked in surprise. Coincidentally, her lunch break was in about five minutes, so, with a shrug of her shoulders she walked over and took the soup-filled bowl that was offered to her. "I would love to. Thank you, ma'am." She dipped her spoon in and then lifted it to her lips, before blowing on it. "This is really good!" She added before taking a seat in the spare seat that had been pulled up next to the bed.

"Is she allowed to have solid foods like this, yet?" The aged woman asked, pointing the worn ladle at the younger brunette.

Mel shook her head. "Unfortunately she can't, not just yet. For only a little while longer Chell can only eat soft foods, like Jell-O." The nurse explained and placed her tasty lunch of to the side for a moment, turning to grab the blue Jell-O that sat on the counter behind her. "Here you go, sweetie. We have some _blue_ Jell-O today. Cool," she pulled off the paper-thin lid and handed it to Chell, along with a plastic spoon.

Chell licked her lips in anticipation, her mouth already watering at the mention of food. She gently placed the bundle of flowers on the tray that was attached to her bed, so that she did not accidentally squish them whenever she moved. "Yum," she declared before grabbing a spoonful of the artificially colored food and shoving it into her mouth.

However, just before she could take another bite, she was interrupted by the sphere that sat comfortably in her lap. "Chell?"

She hummed, due to her mouth being full. The conversation that her neighbor and her assigned nurse were having went ignored for a moment as the two close friends drifted into a talk of their own.

For once, Wheatley did not break his gaze with the former test subject. He kept his single optic trained on her much darker-colored eyes, only taking a moment to mentally prepare himself. But for what, he did not have a clear idea on. "I-I just wanted to say that it's nice to see you like this. Y'know, smiling and acting happy." He admitted, softly.

And it was true. In the first few days that the core had been permitted to see her, Chell had not been as joyful as she was now. She did not look so happy and wanting to talk, all she would do was sigh and remain sad, almost. It was as if someone had denied her a recharge that she so desperately needed, until now. Now, in the past couple days, all she did _was_ smile.

A faint blush appeared and Chell swallowed, thanking whoever was listening that the moment was not ruined by her choking on the smooth pieces of food. She smiled, proving what he was thinking about true. She was glad to be this happy, to be smiling again. In truth, she hated acting so sad, so tired and exhausted, regardless if she had just slept for hours on end. The way that she was feeling now was far better.

She stroked the side of his hull in a sweet way, agreeing with him through actions instead of words. "I'm feeling better today."

His lower optic shutter lifted at that, as he gave his own interpretation of a smile. "So, you're okay?" Wheatley asked, not caring if he sounded as pathetic as could be.

Chell gave him a reassuring kiss on the area that was directly above his semi-closed optic, and she smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay."

For the first time in a while, since first waking up in the hospital, Chell believed those words. Since waking up in the hospital, she believed that she was going to, somehow, end up just as healthy as before. That she was going to be okay.

* * *

**A/N: How was that? Good? I hope that you liked it! (Even though it might have been a little rough..)**

**Just to let you know, I'll be awfully busy in the next few weeks, because of school starting up real soon and other stuff. I have my school's open house that's right around the corner, so, there's that. Also, for the people who actually **do** read these Author's Notes - let me thank you - I've got some news! I went to the dentist yesterday and guess what! I have to get my wisdom teeth removed! Not yay! So, I'll be trying my best, in the midst of the preparations, to upload stuff more often! Okay?**

**If you have anything that you'd like to see in the next chapter, let me know. Or if you spot a mistake, stuff of that nature. I'll gladly get back to you as soon as I can.**

**Other than that, there's not much else that I've got to say. Except - as always - to thank everyone who has reviewed, added this story to their favorites, followed, or all three! You guys are amazing! Thank you! (:**

**Until next time, ¡Adiós!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Unexpected

**Disclaimer:** The characters that make up the Portal universe do not belong to me. I do not own them; although, most of the time, I wish I did. Instead, they belong to their respected owners.

**Prompt:** Your character gets what they've wanted for so long. How do they react?  
**Summary:** Just like the Lady, he had gotten his freedom. But it wasn't what he had expected.  
**Warning:** None

First off, this will be just a one-shot, if any of you were wondering. And second, I wrote this at around two in the morning, so I want to apologize for anything that does not make sense. I fixed it up as best I could, but if you catch anything let me know, please. That would be very much appreciated. Other than that, there's not much else that I want to say.

So, without any further rambling (I save that for the end), I hope that you enjoy this chapter! And like always, I will see everyone at the end!

Happy reading friends!

* * *

To be honest, this was not what he had in mind. He thought that it would be different. Much different.

The small core looked at the inky black that was space. It was incredibly dark, he noted, even if there were billions and trillions of stars. He spun himself around, his bright blue optic shrinking to a mere pinprick in fear as he examined his surroundings for yet another time. Black, that was all there was; as well as the occasional twinkling star.

That, and there was nothing. No one else, neither robot nor (smelly) human. No sound-

The personality core cringed slightly as a yellow-eyed sphere rolled swiftly by, declaring awful loudly, _"space! I'm in space!"_

At least, not as much as he would prefer. It was far too quiet here in space, and big.

He blinked, looking sharply to the left as something shot across, breaking the black for but a moment. He squinted against the bright light, even though it was far away.

That was one - if only - upside about space. The comets and meteors as the would occasionally fly by, leaving behind them a long tail of debris. Sometimes if it happened to be near them, he would sneeze once or twice. The sights, what little he could actually see as he tumbled about, were nice.

Sure, the stars as they twinkled and sparkled were awfully pretty. As well as the Earth as it spun continuously, its contents being sloshed and churned about but not noticing. And when the sun shined ever so brightly in the mornings - the only way that he could tell when a day ended and another started; all of it, was breathtaking. The magazines that he had found on his very first days of being an employee of Aperture Science described exactly what he saw, to the very point.

However, in a way, it was not like what he read about at all. And his opinion about space, overall, had quickly changed.

For one, space was cruel. Its lack of warmth was annoying, and it was substituted for an ever-present cold, one that was bitter and harsh; especially when he entered the Moon's shadow. Well, at least, now, he did not have to worry about his inner circuits overheating at any time.

And it was lonely. Yes, he had the company of the Space Core, but all that one would do was talk about space. Still, Wheatley sighed. He never had someone to actually talk to; a real conversation about anything.

_"Ba! Ba!"_ The Space Core chirped, passing by the other for second time. _"Space! Ba! Ba!"_

Other than space, that is.

_'At least I'm not under Her control anymore.'_ Wheatley reasoned, and he had to give props. Being out here, drifting and spinning end-over-end; the only thing to worry about being stray debris. His entire optic piece jerked, in the equivalence of a nod. She could not reach him out here. He was safe from Her evil clutches.

He was free!

At that sudden, crucial decision, the core stopped and he adopted a wide-eyed - owlish, almost - look. And then, a few moments later, his lower optic shutter rose; making him seem to have a smile.

He did not have to worry about anything anymore! Just himself, and the Space Core when the time came. No one else. He, also, did not have to worry about the Itch, which, he was _sure_, came with Her incredibly huge chassis.

Despite becoming corrupted with power and the obsession to do nothing but test, Wheatley had gained something great. What he had kept talking about, since meeting the first of the last, remaining test subjects. The one thing that he had obsessed over.

His freedom.

And, as he looked around, still housing a one-optic smile, he suddenly realized. Even though he had gotten his freedom, it was not the same. That was when the smile disappeared.

"Wait a minute." Wheatley started, his voice growing louder and frantic as it finally hit him. "This can't be right! Where's the grass and-and the blue sky? The flowers, where did it go? _None_ of that's here! Nothing! There's _nothing_!"

And it was true. In place of the messy assorted, wild flowers that came in several different colors, there were dull-colored stars that were millions of miles away. And what took place of the bright, baby-blue sky that would change shades as the day grew longer, was the deep blackness of space. This was _nothing_ compared to what he had fantasized about, not even close.

Wheatley deflated upon noticing that he did not - yet again - get what he had desired. For a few, long moments, all that could be heard was the Space Cores excited cries and the faint humming of their inner mechanics. Until the blue-eye core let out a soft, sad moan, "this isn't fair." And he looked to the side. "I sacrificed _everything_ to be free. And look at what I get!" By the end, his tone had taken on a bit of anger.

Quickly, he adverted his gaze from the empty space that was in front of him to the large marble-like planet that was several million yards below. A warm, almost fizzy, feeling washed over him as the swirling green-blue-white mass cued a few memories. He sighed, "I just hope the Lady is alright." And with that, he let the moon's terribly low gravitational pull spin him, no longer struggling to stay in view of the planet that was called Earth - where the Lady lived.

"This isn't what I had planned at all. This is _way_ different." Wheatley sighed, not caring, for once, if anyone was listening to him or not. "I had always imagined it. I mean, I _hoped_ that I would be free, one day. Be escape buddies with someone. Y'know, I'd end up some place that has a lot of flowers, green grass and tall trees. But, safe! Safety comes first," he watched as the Space Core drifted by a third time. "Right mate?"

To Wheatley's surprise, the Space Core had his eye trained solely on him. _"Yep, yep! Safe! Gotta be safe in space."_ He chanted, the words coming out in short, quick bursts.

A soft laugh spilled from his internal speakers, despite if the sound was prerecorded. "You're _finally_ listening, mate. That's good." Wheatley congratulated, though, quickly went back to the matter on hand; the idea of his ideal freedom. "Anyways, like I was saying. I always figured that, once I was free, I would end up in a place that's quite pretty. A-And, no offense, mate, but," he drawled, "to me, space isn't so pretty anymore."

The Space Core simply shot his fellow core companion a smile, in the same fashion that he had before - optic partially hidden due to the lower shutter rising up halfway. He spun in a circle, though still orbiting a watchful Wheatley, and replied, _"space is pretty! Stars, planets, comets!"_

Wheatley offered him a silent nod, before humming in agreement, "yeah, that's true."

_"We're in space! Space is free!"_ The Space Core chirped, his entire chassis, although small, shaking with excitement. _"We're free!"_

For a minute or two, Wheatley was silent as the words sunk in. And not after too long, he was smiling along with the other personality core. He nodded, this time, his entire spherical body bobbing up and down from the action. "Yes, I guess we are, mate."

And the only response that the space obsessed core gave was another cheer, albeit an incredibly loud one.

Even though Wheatley had dreamed about being free, surrounded by colorful flowers that swayed from side to side when a cool breeze rushed by. And to look up at a brilliant blue sky, those were the things that he _dreamed_ about; and not be cooped up inside an underground facility. To be near those things, and be _free_.

Wheatley nodded for what seemed to be umpteenth time in minutes, although more to himself than to the rambling core that endlessly orbited around him. _'The mate's right,'_ he told himself, reminiscing on what the other sphere had said. _'It may be completely unexpected,'_

But at least he was free.

* * *

**A/N: As I tend to keep starting out with, did you like it? I hope I did the prompt justice. If not.. oh well. I tried. I can redeem myself in the next chapter.**

**I want to thank everyone who has done the following: reviewed, favorite, follow. I appreciate, and I know that I say that a lot. But it's true! Seriously! When I see an alert for any of my stories about someone doing one of the above, I run around my house squealing. I'm pretty sure that my siblings will forever think that I'm crazy. (not like they have a reason to think so anyway) :D**

**Until next time my lovelies, ¡Adiós!**


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